Re: Let's pay a developer to make a VGA output card

[heuser.marcus@freenet.de]

> It's the hi-res color graphics that is not so trivial. For example a part
> of the screen that has "solid color" in fact has every OTHER pixel
> on (normal hi-res mode on 2e). So should the VGA display a real
> solid color or (as I did) have odd pixels turned off?

The Apple standard hi-res graphics mode is surely more complicated
to emulate than comparable modes on other computers and I think
we all know the technical reasons.

I have tried several (but not all) available emulators and I don't know
any of their sources (and probably wouldn't understand half of it), but
and my impression is, that the various graphics modes follow some
rather simple rules (to be fast or because of legacy) and may look
more or less realistic.

Two thoughts:

Firstly, PCs and Macs are so fast that emulating a 1 MHz Apple isn't
really an issue anymore (and think how it'll be in 5 or 10 years from
now!). And having a "60 MHz Apple II" doesn't really offer too many
advantages. Which means there's plenty of processing time left over.

Secondly, there are some tender developments to duplicate what the
Apple graphics look on a "real" display. The "TV emulation" option in
AppleWin for example.

But do those options mimic a real display?
In most cases they don't come close, imho. If I compare a composite
picture with an emulated one there are miles between.
They simply look too perfect, too smooth and too "VGA-like".

On the other hand there are some very good looking video options
in emulators for other systems: VICE for the Commodore family
or Atari800Win, for example.
They have a really nice emulation of scan lines, VICE even reduces
(if wanted) the color quality to more closely resemble a tv set.
There are ZX81 emulators that even create artifacts or noise to
closely resemble what the experience is on a real machine.

Maybe its time for a differerent approach for Apple emulators.

Maybe I'm the exception from the rule but I would like to have a
highly realistic video emulation with the same quality as the CPU
emulation.

Give me a graphics option that looks like the output of an old 14''
color monitor of yore.
Give me pixels that aren't square or blocky but smear into their
neighbours.
Give me pixels that get "thicker" in height and width the more
contrast the picture has.

You get the idea.

Draw a picture in several passes if necessary, use pixel shaders
if the target platform has such advanced options. Use the power
of the modern machines - don't stay with the possibilities of the
early 90ies.

bye
Marcus